Teton County hearing on privatizing transfer station spurs debate; commissioners approve hauling deal with regional district

Teton County commissioners on June 9 heard a lengthy presentation and public discussion about the county transfer station’s operations and recycling work, followed by an approval of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Eastern Idaho Regional Solid Waste District to truck household solid waste to Circular Butte until the district’s Newdale facility opens.

The public session on transfer station operations stretched well into the afternoon as RAD Curbside, Teton Valley Community Recycling (TVCR), county staff and residents debated whether parts of the transfer station should be privatized and how best to invest in diversion and infrastructure.

Commission action: Separately, the board approved an MOU with the Eastern Idaho Regional Solid Waste District to begin hauling county landfill-bound material to Circular Butte at a cost of $2.74 per mile (the county’s motion referenced edits suggested by the prosecutor). Commissioners said the district has acquired trucks and intends to haul to Circular Butte until the Newdale landfill opens; the county’s formal action approves using the district’s hauling for the short term and to renegotiate after the Newdale operation opens.

Why the hauling deal: The county’s existing contract to haul household trash to Circular Butte was expiring at month’s end, while the Eastern Idaho Regional Solid Waste District’s Newdale facility is not yet open. District trucks offered a lower per‑mile hauling price than the county’s previous hauling costs — county staff cited a projected cost of about $550 per 200‑mile round trip using the district’s rate, compared with over $1,000 under the older contract. The commissioners’ MOU approves the district’s interim hauling to Circular Butte and directs staff to switch hauling once Newdale begins operations.

Transfer station and privatization debate: RAD Curbside general manager Dave Hodesco presented an overview of the county’s waste system and argued for a strategic, multi-year plan to boost diversion and processing efficiency before any structural changes. He and RAD’s team suggested improving processing capacity, investing in sorting infrastructure and pursuing a waste-characterization study to target materials that could be diverted from landfill. “We see a greater opportunity to give back to the community,” Hodesco told commissioners, but he said any management change must keep the county in control of tipping rates, access hours and financial transparency.

Local recycling nonprofit TVCR and county public-works staff urged caution about privatization and emphasized the transfer station’s recent growth in diversion. Molly Nash, executive director of Teton Valley Community Recycling, said the county’s transfer-station team and the local recycling nonprofit had helped raise the county’s landfill-diversion rate and cautioned that privatization must be grounded in objective analysis. “We do feel strongly that privatization should be considered after doing a due-diligence study of the transfer station,” Nash said.

County staff and public comments: Public works director Daryl Johnson and other county staff said the transfer station has expanded diversion and that steps taken after a 2023 fire — including temporary storage and new sorting steps funded by TVCR grants — had improved resiliency. Several commenters stressed the high value of the transfer station crew and the need to protect county jobs and to factor those staffing costs into any privatization decision.

What’s next: Commissioners approved the district hauling MOU and continued discussion about privatization and capital investments. Several participants urged a short list of near-term steps: a county-led waste-characterization study, a 5-to-10-year plan for diversion and equipment, and a public audit of current budgets and revenue flows to ground any decision about contracting out service. County staff and RAD agreed to return with cost details and scenarios to inform commissioner decisions.

Speakers and sources: Dave Hodesco (RAD Curbside), Molly Nash (Teton Valley Community Recycling), Daryl Johnson (Teton County Public Works Director), John Beller (TVCR board member), Commissioners (Powers, James, Ron, Brad, Dan)